Parental Instinct
by TurtleGirl
Summary: In which Khadgar is sick, Lothar's in over his head, and Taria Wrynn decides that she is now a mother of three.


_A/N: I am officially in Warcraft hell. Please accept this offering of fluff involving our favorite puppy/mage and the royal family that adopted him._

It was supposed to be a simple scouting trip. In the aftermath of that first great battle with the Horde, Lothar got it in his head to take a gryphon and run the perimeter of Elwynn's forests. "Looking for trouble," he had half joked. The main reason Khadgar had asked to come along was for a short side-quest to Karazhan. There were some books there that the young mage wanted to bring back. Two days, three at most for the round trip. On the third morning, Khadgar awoke regretting his life choices.

"Rise and shine, kid!" Lothar's sing-song call jarred the young mage from a sound sleep, and he just barely managed to stifle a groan. As the fog of sleep cleared from his head, Khadgar realized that he didn't feel so good. His head ached and, more troublingly, his stomach was rumbling with something very different from hunger. With his usual, impeccable sense of timing, Lothar shoved a steaming bowl of what might have been porridge in front of the mage's nose.

"Eat up," the older man told him. "We've still got a long flight before we make it back."

Of course the last thing Khadgar wanted was breakfast, but he wasn't about to let Lothar know that. He carefully sat up and accepted the proffered bowl, ignoring the fact that the smell made him dangerously nauseous.

Of course Lothar wasn't stupid. With the flushed cheeks and dark-ringed eyes, any idiot could see the pup was coming down with something. It was almost amusing to see him trying so hard to act natural.

Khadgar felt the older man's scrutinizing gaze as he attempted to choke down some food.

"What is it?" he challenged. Lothar folded his arms.

"You tell me."

There was a beat and the boy sighed, running a hand wearily through his sweat-dampened hair.

"It's nothing."

"Oh really?" Lothar pressed his palm to Khadgar's clammy forehead, ignoring the boy's feeble attempt to brush him off.

"I think it's just a slight fever."

 _"'Just'?"_ The commander eventually withdrew his hand, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell me you're okay to travel?"

"I said I'm fine," Khadgar huffed, forcing down one more spoonful of the greasy slop before pushing himself laboriously to his feet. To his credit, he only swayed a little bit upon standing. Lothar's blue eyes narrowed, but he finally just shrugged.

"Alright, bookworm, have it your way. But if you fall off the bird, don't complain to me." The youth glared at him with glassy brown eyes and moved to gather his belongings.

" _The kid's downright cranky when he's sick_ ," Lothar mused.

The two men packed up their campsite and mounted the gryphon, heading for Stormwind. They were making good time too...for the first 10 minutes.

"Lothar?" Khadgar clung tightly to his travel partner's cloak, struggling to be heard over the rush of the winds. " _Lothar!_ "

"What is it?" The warrior shouted back.

"We need to-" He swallowed hard.

" _What?"_

"Land!" It took a moment for Lothar to register the words, but once he did, his head snapped back to look at his passenger. He swore colorfully.

Their mount had barely touched down before Khadgar slid off its back and rushed to the nearest tree.

Lothar gave the kid some space, his own stomach clenching in sympathy as Khadgar lost his breakfast. Once it was over and the teen had slumped down into the grass, he felt it was safe to approach.

A weak grunt of protest was all Khadgar could manage as he was unceremoniously hoisted to his feet. In order to remount, Lothar had to lift him onto the gryphon's back like a small child.

"You picked a fine time for a tummy bug, kid," the older man teased, masking his concern. Khadgar merely shivered and wrapped his cloak around himself more tightly, a living portrait of misery. Lothar's smile faltered and he quickly mounted himself, electing to sit behind the boy this time. "Let's get you home."

They had to make several more stops before the spires of Stormwind finally loomed into view. Lothar thought he might have to carry the sick mage to his room but he knew Khadgar would probably hex him if he tried. The wizard entered Stormwind Keep on his own two feet, but found that he had to lean heavily against the older man in order to keep moving.

They, or rather Khadgar, had to take a break by the time they passed the kitchen. Lothar lowered the boy into a chair and Khadgar leaned over the table, resting his head on his arms and willing his stomach to calm down. A voice called from the doorway.

"Anduin, you've returned! I was beginning to worry about you two…"

Taria took one look at the boy and the welcoming smile slipped from her face.

"Khadgar, are you alright? You don't look well."

"I'm fine, Your Majesty," Khadgar stammered, sitting up straight. "Just a little under the weather." It was embarrassing enough to have Lothar and the entire Keep see him like this, but the Queen of Stormwind herself?

"So he keeps saying," Lothar deadpanned. The queen frowned at Khadgar, her brow furrowed in maternal concern. She reached out and mimicked her brother's earlier action of feeling the boy's forehead. This time, Khadgar didn't dare pull away. There was a soft intake of breath and Khadgar saw the queen's dark eyes widen in alarm as she touched him. Her fingers slipped down from his forehead to brush his cheek, a tender gesture that made him flush even redder.

"You're burning up, child."

"It's nothing, milady, really." Taria was not convinced. She turned to her brother.

"We should send for a healer." Khadgar shook his head vehemently, even though the motion made him queasier.

"I'll be all right. All I need is a few hours of sleep." Lothar and Taria exchanged looks, but the queen finally relented.

"Alright, Khadgar, if that's what you wish. Just promise me that if you start to feel worse, you'll let someone know?" The boy nodded, looking relieved.

"I will, Your Majesty. Thank you." With that, the young mage shakily rose to his feet and made his way upstairs toward his chambers, his progress painfully slow. Once he was out of earshot, Taria frowned at her brother.

"I don't like it, Anduin. He's much too ill to be left alone."

"He won't be alone," Lothar assured her. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him." Taria nodded, but was far from comforted.

"The poor boy. He's really not used to being cared for, is he?"

"I doubt the old sorcerers of the Kirin Tor used to tuck him in at night." He said it as a joke, but Taria winced. Lothar cupped her chin affectionately.

"You're a mother and I know those instincts are hard to suppress. Don't worry; the kid will be fine."

 _-Later-_

"Easy now, easy." Lothar had to hold Khadgar up as the poor kid emptied his stomach yet again. How there was anything left to vomit was a mystery.

"Oh, Light, I don't feel well," Khadgar groaned, clutching his belly. He gagged again and Lothar held him over the basin, rubbing his back in slow circles. He could feel the heat raging through the boy's night shirt.

"You're going to be alright. Just let it all out." Lothar cursed himself for not checking on the kid earlier. He had elected to leave Khadgar alone to rest and several hours had passed before the warrior went and knocked on the bedroom door. He found the mage sprawled on the wooden floor, hugging a wash basin.

Now, the boy heaved one more time before going limp, falling back against a now panicking Lothar.

"Guard?" The commander hauled Khadgar into his arms and stuck his head out the bedroom door, bellowing, _"Guard!"_ The nearest sentry hurried into the bedroom, only to freeze at the sight of her superior cradling a barely conscious young mage. "Fetch a healer, quickly!"

Night was falling now and Lothar struggled to see what he was doing as he peeled off the mage's outer clothing and filled the bathtub. He needed to bring the kid's fever down, _now_.

Anduin lowered the boy into the tub, grateful that the water wasn't too cold. Khadgar, on the other hand, reacted as though he'd been plunged into ice. He gasped and thrashed in Lothar's grip, and the older man had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep the delirious mage from turning him into a sheep.

Khadgar didn't have the strength to fight back for long though, and to Lothar's relief, he finally sank back down into the bath water. The older man went to work immediately, pouring cool water over the teenager's chest and shoulders and carefully soaking his head. Khadgar seemed to be almost dreaming; his eyes half-lidded and distant.

Not wanting the kid to get chilled, Lothar drained the tub after only a few minutes and quickly wrapped him up in a towel. The cool bath had revived the mage somewhat, and Lothar kept a respectful distance as Khadgar stubbornly insisted on dressing himself, nearly landing on his head in the process.

Having managed some comfortable trousers and a tunic (and with only a little help from Lothar), the teen had just collapsed into bed when the guard returned with a priest…and Lady Taria.

"He's worse," Lothar told his sister. "I had to dunk him in the bathtub to cool him down." Taria hadn't seen Anduin this anxious since the last time Callan was ill. Frankly, she was worried too. Khadgar lay curled up on his side, eyes closed and cheeks blazing. He was clearly very sick.

The queen turned imploringly to Father Carl, a man she held in high esteem as the family physician. The priest frowned and moved towards the bed, looking Khadgar over quickly and impassively. The young mage bore the examination with grace, or he could simply have been too weak to protest. Presently, Father Carl straightened.

"Flu," the healer grunted. "He's gonna be miserable for a few days. Keep him in bed and hydrated…and probably avoid any spell casting for a while." This last remark was directed at the patient, who actually pouted. The old healer pulled a few packets of what looked to be herbs from his satchel and handed them to Taria. "This one is for nausea and this for the fever. Just boil it into a tea and make him drink it. His temperature's likely to rise and fall, but if it gets much worse, you should send for me right away."

Khadgar sighed resignedly, burying his face in his pillow. This was not his finest hour.

"Thank you, Father," the queen replied, seeing the elderly priest to the door. She turned at the threshold to address her adopted patient. "I'll be back with your medicine, Khadgar. I just need to boil some water." Not waiting for a reply, Lady Taria disappeared. Lothar smiled lightly at Khadgar.

"Well, bookworm, it looks like you're going to be getting the royal treatment."

Khadgar lifted his head and stared at the older man, his fevered brown eyes growing comically large.

"Surely she's sending a servant to bring the water…" he trailed off as Lothar shook his head. "Lothar, there's no way the Queen of the realm is coming to play nursemaid to _me_." Lothar couldn't help it. He chuckled and clapped a hand on Khadgar's shoulder.

"Welcome to the family, kid."

She returned to find both men as she had left them. Anduin was sitting near the bed, his expression unreadable as he watched Khadgar. The boy lay on his back with the blankets pulled to his chin, chest rising and falling shallowly as he rested. A cold compress lay across his forehead. Her brother looked up when he heard her enter.

"Is that the medicine?" Taria nodded.

"I'd hate to wake him…"

"I don't think he's completely asleep." To demonstrate, Lothar leaned over and gently squeezed Khadgar's shoulder. Sure enough, the mage's eyes fluttered open. He spotted the queen and, with surprising energy, sat up in bed, dislodging the compress.

"Lady Taria!" The queen shook her head.

"Lie down, dear. I'm just bringing you some tea."

"Thank you, your majesty, but you really don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to. I want to," Taria said firmly, prompting Khadgar to blush. "Just see if you can manage a sip or two. It'll help your tummy." Khadgar went scarlet to the ears. Lothar cleared his throat, trying to conceal a laugh.

"You're not gonna win this one, kid. I'd do as your queen commands." The teenager sagged against the pillows, conceding the battle. He politely accepted the mug from Lady Taria and even managed not to spill it as he drank it down. "Not so bad, is it?" Anduin asked. Khadgar blinked owlishly up at him.

"No, it's…" his voice slurred, "actually…pretty good." The sleepy brown eyes slid closed and Lothar just managed to rescue the mug as Khadgar completely conked out.

The two siblings exchanged surprised looks.

"Well _now_ he's asleep." Anduin sniffed the remainder of the tea. "And no wonder. The old man put dreamfoil in this."

"Good," Taria sighed. "With luck, he'll sleep through the night." Lady Taria sat down in the chair her brother had vacated and laid the cool cloth back over Khadgar's forehead. Lothar stared at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Go rest, brother," she told Anduin, in a tone that brooked no argument. "I'll sit with him a while."

It was very dark when Lothar awoke with a start. He sat up, letting his eyes adjust. Clearly dawn was still a long way off but he realized it was high time to check on Taria and the kid. Lothar scrubbed a hand over his face and got up to dress.

It was a fairly short walk from his chambers down to Khadgar's, but as he went, Lothar still had difficulty keeping his mind from wandering. How long had it been since he had kept a vigil like this? Probably not since Callan was a child. _Callan_. The loss was still so raw. Lothar shook his head to clear the cobwebs. It was too late for him to wallow in regret, especially now when there were people who still needed him. He quickened his pace.

Taria was singing quietly and Lothar recognized the tune as one she often used to soothe her own children. As he stepped into the doorway, sure enough, he found his sister still watching over Khadgar, her fingers combing through the boy's soft, dark hair as he slept. She paused when she sensed his presence.

"Anduin?" Taria frowned up at him. "What time is it?"

"It's very late. How's he doing?"

"He was feeling sick again, a while ago," the queen sighed. "I fixed him some more tea and he's been sleeping ever since." She gazed hopefully down at boy. "I dare to think the worst is over." Khadgar was completely at peace under her touch; his boyish face looking all the younger in sleep.

"Anduin?" Taria said again. Her soft brown eyes shone in the lamplight. "Is it true that Khadgar's mother and father abandoned him?" Lothar tensed at the unexpected question, but gradually nodded.

"Apparently, it's something people do. They ship off one of their kids to the Kirin Tor to bring 'honor' to the family."

His sister shook her head in disgust.

"How could any parent-?"

"I don't know." Lothar rested a comforting hand on Taria's shoulder. "But _we're_ here now. That's what matters." The queen covered Anduin's hand with her own and nodded agreement. "Why don't you get some sleep, Tari? It's my turn."

He was surfacing again, and he could swear he felt lips press against his forehead. It was a mother's kiss; he knew, though it had been many years since he'd felt one. Gradually Khadgar realized that he wasn't dreaming. His eyes fluttered just in time to see the swish of a dress walking out the door.

"Khadgar? Do you think you can take some water?" A large and calloused but gentle hand was lifting his head. "Come on, spell chucker. I know you can hear me." Khadgar felt a cup being pressed to his lips. Obediently, he sipped the cool water. "Good lad." Lothar carefully set his head back down on the pillow. He looked tired and the young mage felt a wash of guilt but also tremendous gratitude. Khadgar had gotten so used to looking after himself…Summoning his strength, the mage reached out to touch the older man's arm. Lothar's eyebrows lifted.

"You alright?"

The water had helped, but his voice still came out as a rasp.

"Lothar…"

"What is it, kid?" Lothar sat up straighter. Was the boy about to be sick again?

"Thank you." Anduin Lothar blinked once, and then smiled, though Khadgar thought he noticed a hint of sadness in the blue eyes. The boy wondered with a pang of sympathy whether Lothar was thinking of his own son. The warrior reached over and fondly ruffled his hair, letting the hand briefly linger on his brow.

"I think you're finally cooling down," he said, unable to keep the relief completely out of his voice. Khadgar hummed in acknowledgment and gave in to the lingering heaviness of his eyelids. Lothar nodded and tucked the blankets around the drowsy teen. "Go back to sleep, pup. I'm not going anywhere."

 _A/N: And that's it! Sorry for being mean to Khadgar but it had to be done. Reviews make me happy, even if you tell me I suck! :D_


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